Friday, 26 September 2014

Technology, A Bane

We often hear people say, “Gosh, things were
so much better, easier & simpler when we were younger”.

Ever wondered why?

The answer is pretty simple.

Back then you had friends, now you have
Facebook friends!

Given the advancement in technology today,
people actually are becoming more social and more interactive with others, but
we need to realize that using this new technology should not replace real-life
interactions.

Today, through social media, text messaging,
and emails, we can instantly communicate with anyone at the drop of a pin, but social
networking websites have changed social interaction from a personal encounter,
to an impersonal practice that is putting today’s youth at a strong
disadvantage in life. It is playing a huge role in the youth’s inability to
verbally communicate.

Personable skills gained through direct
communication are crucial things to develop while you're still learning.
However with Instagram, Twitter, texting, Skype, Facebook, all in the palms of
our hands, it's so much easier to just keep to yourself rather than live in the
moment with friends and family. Sure, all of those things previously mentioned
are GREAT to communicate with people distanced from you. On the flip side
though, too many people rely on those networks to develop the relationships a
person needs IN PERSON.

Of course, there is a time and a place for
tech – there are so many wonderful tools out there to stay connected to family
& friends, to learn and grow, and to explore new concepts and ideas. But
it’s time now that we realized that there’s no replacement for quality
one-on-one time with a loved one. No matter what technological innovations come
about, no matter how many screens we can swipe, let’s not lose the physical
touch.

At AIESEC we believe in the theory,” take”
time out don’t “Tech” time out! We strongly feel the need to interact in the
real world, with real people and real conversations. We follow a very strict
office culture, where peers meet and discuss ideas on a regular basis. General
body meeting are held every month where the entire local body assembles to
learn what has been going on in our local chapter. AIESEC also allows young
leaders to be part of innovative learning circles, where you share ideas and interact
with individuals in a group to discuss topics relevant to the youth.

To sum it up, technology can be helpful and
bring us together, or it can be a terrible thing that tears us apart. There's
really no one opinion on this, it’s all on you how you chose to use
technology.